Scale



-C. R. HERMAN.

SCALE.

' Y APPLCATIQN'FHIED NOV. 10.19.20, RENEVWED JAN.' 1.9.1922.

Patented Apr.4, 1922.

UNITED STATES 'PATE-NT oFFicE.

cem, marrow mman, or cm1-0a .rEiiNSYtv-mm, Assieme ro me mums sommarie SCALE COMPANY, or Cimarron, PENNsYnvaiTra, a ooRroItarIoN or sourir Dano'ra.

SCALE Patented Ap- 4, 192.24

Application le'd November` 10, 1920, Serial No. 423,066.. Renewed Januaryil, 192.2. Serial No. 530.495.

T 0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL R. HERMAN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Grafton, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, ave invented certain new and usefuly Improvements in Scales, ofA which the following is a specification, referprovide an electrically operated device of in n the drawings: y v

this character which will automatically shut olf the discharge of any free lflowing com-V modity derived from a Vsupply hopper after a` predetermined" weight of said commodity hasbeenwei hed.I Another ojectof this invention is to provide an electric lcontrol device which will automatically shut outhe discharge of said commodity as soon as the operating electric current is interrupted,zeither accidentally or intentionally.

4A further object of this invention is to provide a device oi this character which is of simple construction and 4operation and which can be manufactured atlow cost.

-Further objects and advantages of this device will appear 'from the following descrip# tion, taken in connection with the accompanydrawings.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly shown in section, of my control device, as applied to a platform-scale,` provided v "a supply ho r. 2 isa perspective view showing the sliding shutter which "controls thedischarge from the hopper. v

Figures 3, .4, 5, are `schematic representations of the conditions occurring in the .electricv circuit .of` the device, v under various weighing conditions.

This invention is particularly Yintended to cover `improvements on the United States Patent No. 1,291,707 datedJanua 21, 1919 and more especially on the co-y endmgapplicationof even` date, by Jolly orris. d

For' the purpose of distinguishing the `two copending applications, 'I' call the present one the closed circuit control devioebecause the electric circuit is closed while the commodity is flowing into the container, whereas in the other application, the circuit is open, during the process of iillin the containers.

Referring more in detai s to-ltig. 1, in

kwhich I have shown only the upper parts of al scale, thecontrol device consists of anelectro-magnet l, (mounted on the scale frame A,) comprising a solenoid 2, a core 3,'secured on a base 4, provided withfa bracket att the outer end of which is pivotallymounted the armature 6 by means of the lpin connection 7. The upper, and shorter, end-of this armature is provided with a catch-finger 8 of sulli` cientlength to engage the end of the arm 9 of the shutter 10 when the latter has been drawn backwarduntil its opening 1l registers with .thedischarge opening '-12 provided atthe lower end of thesupply hopper 13. The shutter is manually operated into uthe yopen position vby `means of ythe bell-cranlr-'lever 14 secured on a shaft 15 rotatively mounted in supports 16 secured on the scale frame B. The connection between thislever Vand the shutter is eii'ected by a -connecting rod 17 which hingedly connects these two members by means 4ofthe pin connections 18 and 19.

Coil springs 20 and 21 are mounted onV the l be increased when the bell-.crank lever is drawn backwards into the open position ofthe shutter.

A two pole switch 22` is suitably mounted on the frame Aand is so disposed that its handle 23, (provided with the closing spring 23%) will be pushed into openposition by the shutter arm 9`as the latter yreaches its most forward position, corresponding tothe f closing position of the shutter. The' handle 23 and the switch base 24 areprovided with insulated contacts 25, 25, 26 and 26 to which the electricwires of the control circuitv are connected.

A'second switch ,27 is mounted at the Vrear end of .the graduated beam 28 and iso rated by the movements-of said beam. is switch consists of the contact plate 29 provided vvith a Contact discy 30. The contact plate is secured to the vertical `rod `31 slidably mounted within the rearfend of the' graduated beam and guided by the threaded bushing 32. The upperportion 33"'of Vthe guide rod is' reduced in diameter to provide y spring 34 inserted between the bushing 3,2 and the collar 35 secured to the vertical` rod.

The purpose oi t-his spring is to insure proper contact between the stationary contact point 36, mounted on the bracket positioned within the protecting casing 38, and to absorb the shocks which ma-y'occasionally occur between the contacts owing to any sudden movements of the graduated beam.

The operation of my electro-magnetic control device is as follows:

Alfter the scale has been adjusted `to weigh oil a predetermined weight oit a given coinmodity, a container is placed on the platform directly beneath the discharge opening and the shutter is pulled back by means of the bell-crank lever 14, into its full open position. The spring 23a is now able to force the switch blade into the closed position and the contact in the upper switch 27 is also closed on account ofthe fact that the commodity being weighed has not yet reached the predetermined weight in the container. The electric circuit therefor is closed and the electro-magnet 1 is energized, thus attracting the armature 6. The catch-finger 8 of the armature is thereby brought into engagement with the end ofthe shutter eXtension 9 and the tension in the springs 2O and 21 of the bell-crank lever 141 is counteracted by the magnetic pull of the electro-magnet on the armature.`

F ig. 3 represents diagrammatically, the condition existingV in the control. device during the discharge of Athe commodity. The electric current is derived Ytroni any suitable source vsuch as storage battery or electric light circuit represented in the figure by the lines 39, and 40. As shown in Figure 3, the current willflow from the line 39,thr0ugh the coil of the electro-magnet and, passing through the contacts 25, BO, and 26, will rcturn to the line 40 of the supply circuit.

As soon as the container has reached its predetermined weight, the rear end of the graduated beam will be pulledl down and the contact at the point SO will be broken, thus interrupting the flow of electric-ity through the magnet coil. The de-energized magnet will ytherefore release the armature and the shutter will be rapidly shot forward intoits closing position by the action of the tensioned springs 20 and 21, thereby striking the switch handle 23 and opening the electric circuitalso at the switch 22, as shown infFig. 4. l

In igure 5 I have shown the switch 22 open and the upper switch 27 closed. This condition corresponds to the idle condition ofthe scale, that is, when the shutter is closed and the platform is not loaded.

It is apparent -irom the foregoingdcscription that lthe closed circuit magnetic control ofers an additional safety feature over the open circuit7x device specified in the copending application, in so far that in case the electric current oi the circuit should be interrupted, the shutter will close immediately and prevent any spilling or o veriiowing oi the commodity. This would not be the case with the open circuit77 device since it requires that 'theelectro-magnet be energized to release the shutter into the closed position.

From the foregoing description taken in connection v-.fith-v vthe accompanying drawings, the construction ot the device and the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertaine, and `while describing the principle ot operation oiif the invention together with the device which is now considered to be the best embodiment thereof, it isto be understood that the `device shown is merely illustrated and that various changes in the form', proportion and the minor details ot construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle `or sacrilicing any oithe advantages of the invention as defined in. the appended claims.

lfihat I claim'to be new is: p

1. The combination with a scale embodying a fulcrumed beam oil: a hopper having a commodity discharge chute, a spring retracted manually opened apertured closure 'for the chute, a detent positioned to at times retain the closure in openposition, an electro-magnet adapted when energized to vretain the detent in engaging position, a circuit for the electro-magnet, means actuated by the swaying oit the beam to open the circuit, and means actuated by Vthe retraction of' the closure 'for opening the circuit in another position.

2. The combination with a scaley embodying a `fulcrumed beam of a hopper having a commodity.discharging chute, aspring retracted manually actuated apertured closure 'for the chute, a detent positioned to engage the closurejwhen inopen position, an electroinagnet adapted-to maintain the detent in engaging pos`ition,av circuit for the electromagnet, a switch introduced into the circuit and positioned to be opened by the retraction of the closure, asecond switch introduced into the circuit and meansactuated bythe swaying of the beam` to open. the second switch. l

8. The combination with a scale embodying a 'fulcrumed beam ofra commodity dis-` charge chute, a closure for the chute,'manual means for moving the closure'to open position, means to close' kthe closure when released., a detent adapted to engage and maintain the closure in open position, an electromagnet adapted when energized to maintain the detent in engaging position, a circuit for the electro-magnet, two switches introduced into the circuit, means carried by the beam for opening one of said switches when the beam responds to an ovei'baianeing condition, and means carried by the closure for opening the other switch when responding to.

ture for opening the` circuit tothe eieetro-V magnet, and means actuated by the closure for opening theoircuit at a diiferent point;

5. The combination With a scale embody# ing a fulerumed beam of a Commodity chute, a movable closure for the chute, a detent adapted to` hold the closure in open position, an electro-magnet adapted when energized to maintain the detent in engaging position, a circuit for the electro-magnet, means carried by the scale beam for opening the circuit when the beam is raised, and means carried by the closure for opening the circuit When the closure is in closed posi tion, andV maintaining the circuit in such open Condition While the closure remains in closed position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CARL RmNHoLD HERMAN.

Witnesses:

J. L. MORRIS, ERNEST PAYNE.y y 

